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Throughout his entire young life, twenty-six year old Darry Curtis always seemed to achieve just about anything he went for. He made the honor roll, the principal's list, and was named 'Boy of the Year' (as corny as that may have sounded) while in high school. Darry was captain of the football team and when he graduated was given a full scholarship to college. Early on in his time there Darry changed his goal from being a professional football player to a personal trainer and nutritionist which Darry succeeded in doing as well. Professionally, his life was a ten as Darry loved his job, maybe a little too much as he was sort of a workaholic. It was his personal life that wasn't going so well. It was the husband and father part that wasn't going so well.
It was going on five-thirty in the evening as Darry stood at the entrance way of his house, waiting for his father to arrive. He asked him to come because he really needed to talk to him, he really needed his advise. Darry still lived in Tulsa, in the house that his grandparents had once lived. His parents had given it to Darry when he found out about his wife's pregnancy, that was almost five years ago now.
Unlike his brothers, Darry didn't marry his high school sweetheart. Darry met Jennifer Pierce during his stint at Oklahoma State University and really thought he loved her, she was a beautiful girl. The only thing was Darry wasn't sure if she was 'the one', and even if she was he wasn't ready to get married yet and he sure wasn't ready to become a father when he did, but he didn't have a choice.
He called his father up when he found out that Jennifer was pregnant and needless to say, it wasn't the happy news that his parents expected when the found out about their first grandchild. Darryl Senior had been angry with his son, one of the very few times he had ever been angry with his oldest son. He told Darry that he thought that his son was smarter than that, that he should have used protection, but that was the thing...he had. They got married shortly after because even though he wasn't ready, Darry certainly wasn't going to just leave them behind. One of the most important lessons his father taught him while growing up was to always take responsibility.
Smiling a little once he saw his father's car driving up, Darry walked outside to greet him. Even though it wasn't that long of a drive to get here, Linda and Darryl Senior didn't come up here much. The majority of the time it was Darry and Jennifer going to see them, and though Darry talked to his father on the phone almost every single day, he hadn't seen him in person for a couple of months, he was always just so busy.
"Hey Dad," Darry smiled as he hugged his father," Thanks for coming up."
"Sure," his father smiled back as he noticed that his oldest had grown a goatee. The next thing he noticed was right next to the house. "You built a garage?"
"Yep."
"I can only wonder what else you've changed around."
"Come on in and see."
Once they went inside, Darry showed his father around the house, he had repainted the walls a nice grey color, had new carpet, a bluish-grey, new furniture. Sitting down in the living room, Darry had gotten his father a beer from the bar area before pouring a glass of red wine for himself.
"I thought you didn't drink at all?" Darryl questioned his son.
"Only red wine, it's the healthiest alcohol you can have. It makes the plaques in your arteries more slippery." His father gave him a look as Darry shrugged and then chuckled. "That's what I tell myself any time I have one."
Darryl Senior took a few sips of beer before looking around. It was then did he seem to realize.
"Where's Jennifer? Joseph?"
Frowning, Darry scratched at his goatee.
"She went to stay at her mother's place for a couple of days."
Darryl Senior just blinked, he didn't understand.
"That's why I asked you to come, because...things are just kinda hard right now."
"What's going on?" Darryl still seemed confused. He had no idea that his son and Jennifer may have been having problems, Darry never mentioned anything like that whenever they spoke.
"We're arguing a lot. I can't say I've been the greatest husband or father lately. All I do is work, when I'm not training clients I'm home coming up with a diet and health plan for them. The other night I was in my office going over some things Joseph came into the room and started talking to me. I guess I was so focused on getting done that I didn't even notice he was there. He went to Jennifer bawling his eyes out," Darry lowered his eyes, feeling completely ashamed, "That was the straw that broke the camel's back for her. Jennifer started yelling at me before taking Joseph to go stay at her Mom's, she said she'd be back in a couple of days."
His father nodded, sympathetically.
"I'm sorry, Darry. Things like this can happen unfortunately. I'm sure you two will be able to work things out." However, Darry didn't look so convinced. Darryl Senior cocked his head. "Has anything else been going on?"
"Well...it's just that I don't think Jennifer really likes living out here, you know...the isolation, she was always more of a city girl. She's thinking about going back to work part-time once Joseph starts kindergarten in the fall."
"And you don't want her to?"
"It's not that I don't want her to," Darry shrugged. "I just like things the way they are right now, me working and Jennifer taking care of the house. Right now I think my life is in pretty good order."
"Maybe Jennifer doesn't feel the same."
Darry nodded, he knew his wife didn't. His father then asked;
"How come you didn't tell me any of this sooner?"
"I just couldn't," Darry heavily sighed, "I didn't want to admit that I'm sorta screwing things up with my family. It's not supposed to be this way."
"Hey," his father reached out and shook Darry's knee. "It's okay to screw up occasionally, it happens. I think that's your biggest problem, Darry. You've always been afraid to fail."
That was true...Darry couldn't take failure. It didn't happen to him often, but when it did he always took it so hard. One example was when he got very sick when he was in seventh grade, his mother had to pretty much beg him to stay home and get better. He ended up missing three straight days of school which meant Darry wasn't going to be getting the perfect attendance award for the semester. It was stupid, looking back at it but it was just the way Darry was. The few times his team lost a football game Darry spent more time in the gym, vowing to play harder next time. He had perfect at pretty much anything, why wasn't he being perfect with this? It was just then did he realize he had just asked that question out loud.
"You don't have to be perfect, Darry," his father began, "Because you're not. There's no such thing as the perfect husband or the perfect father. You'll fail sometimes, you'll fall. When you do, try to fall forward."
Darry leaned back as he stared at the floor.
"I guess you made things look so easy."
Smiling back, Darryl Senior replied;
"You mother and I had our problems, we just did a good job of keeping it away from you kids. I tried my best, that's all you can ask of yourself."
Looking out the window, Darry saw that it was starting to get dark out.
"Listen, uh, would you like to stay here tonight? I'd rather you didn't drive home in the dark," Darry then repressed a shutter at the memory his parent's car accident back when he saw a senior in high school. It still haunted his dreams on some nights even though it had been so many years ago now.
"Is my old room still available?"
Darry laughed.
"Yep. Joseph stays in Uncle Bill's old room."
His father followed up the stair and into the bedroom that once belong to him when he was a kid. Darryl Senior couldn't help but start to get a little choked up as he began thinking about all the fun times he had here, about his parents and how much he missed them. Darry just stood quietly as he watched his father take it all in. He hoped his father was proud of him, Darry felt closer to his father then to anyone else in his entire life, even his own brothers. He named his son after his father's father. That had meant a lot to Darryl Senior.
Darryl looked back at his oldest boy, misty eyed and nodded as if he knew what he was thinking.
"I'm proud of you."
"Thanks, Dad," Darry reached out and hugged him. "Well, good night."
"Hey," Darryl reached and gently grabbed Darry's wrist, stopping him for a moment, "Just remember to spend more time with your family, don't work so much. These are the most important years in Joseph's life now, you don't want to look back on them with any regrets."
"I know, and I will,"
One he finally left his father to get to his own bedroom, Darry took a set on the bed before a smile came to his face...he had an idea. The following morning, Darry rose early to make breakfast for himself and his Dad before Darryl Senior took off. He then picked up and phone and began calling all of his clients he was supposed to see over the next week. Darry said he was sorry to let them know but something had come up and he wouldn't be able to see them. Darry then gave them the name of a replacement trainer they could see in the meantime before he got back. Just after speaking with his last trainee, the front door opened back up and Jennifer and Joseph came in.
"Hey," Darry greeted, awkwardly.
"Was that your father's car I passed?" Jennifer asked.
"Yeah, he came here last night." Darry then looked down at his son and motioned for him to come over, which he did. Darry picked Joseph up in his arms and smiled, "Hey little man, I missed you."
"I missed you too," Joseph replied.
"Listen, how you like to take a little vacation?"
Jennifer's brows furrowed as Darry sat Joseph down, the almost five year old then replied;
"I don't know, we've never been on a vacation."
"Well how fast can you get ready?"
At his, Joseph turned and shot up the staircase fast as lightning while Darry turned his attention to his wife who still looked confused.
"What's this about a vacation?"
"You were right about me needed to spend more time with you and Joseph," Darry walked closer and took Jennifer in his arms, "I'm starting now."
"But...what about your job?"
"It will still be here when we get back. This is my job too."
Jennifer smiled, Darry's father must have been able to talk some sense into him.
"Well...where are we going?"
Grinning, Darry answered;
"One week...in Hawaii."
